Bethlehem Township will review whether to keep its police pension fund in the hands of a financial manager who has been charged with exposing himself to three girls in Allentown and is also charged with hiding assets to avoid paying a $900,000 debt.

"I'm sure we'll be taking a look at the issue," said commissioners Chairman Allan Robertson.

The fund is managed by Peter L. Coker of the American Asset Management Corp., a New York-based investment advisory service.

Coker, 49, of Lower Macungie Township is former vice president of Unclaimed Freight furniture. He and other officers were sued by Valley Advisors Inc., the parent company, for allegedly taking at least $1 million from the company. The suit was settled out of court earlier this year.

Earlier this month, Coker waived to Lehigh County Court charges of open lewdness and corruption of minors. He faces a trial in the case.

Coker is accused of driving up to 15-, 14-, and 10-year-old girls near Turner and Lumber streets and exposing himself to the girls.

American Express Bank in New York has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to void a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed by Coker.

American Express contends that the bankruptcy was filed in bad faith.

The bank has requested that if the bankruptcy is not voided, it should be changed from Chapter 11, reorganization, to Chapter 7, liquidation.

Coker and four business partners signed unconditional guarantees to pay all obligations when they came due for Starich Inc. The Alabama seafood corporation had a $4.5 million line of credit with the bank.

American Express claims Coker of 4825 Cherry Lane has sufficient net worth to pay the $885,000 it is owed, but the funds have been transferred to areas where they cannot be touched by the bank.

The township police pension fund is valued at about $2 million.

Robertson said Coker is not the only person at American Asset managing the account.

He said character would be a factor in keeping the fund with American Asset.

"Obviously, characters have become an issue," Robertson said. "It would not speak very well of the township to" associate with someone of questionable character.

However, Coker is innocent until the charges are proven, Robertson said.

Perhaps a different light will be cast on the issues as the court proceedings continue, he said.

Robertson said the pension fund has been making an adequate return on investment.

He said the company was given orders "to be very conservative." The money is invested predominately in slow growth bonds. "They had not been doing all that badly," he said.